10 Tips For Top-Notch Telecommuting
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Telecommuting is becoming more commonplace. It’s not unusual to see people working in coffee shops and cafes, parks, at the beach, and from their kitchen tables. Many employers are offering their employees the opportunity to work remotely. I have a telecommuting arrangment with my firm; in fact, I’m writing this post from my home office.

The flexibility of telecommuting is great for employees. Telecommuting also benefits employers, such as reducing overhead costs for office space and making them a more “attractive” employer in the market.

Telecommuting can be a win-win situation for employers and their employees. But before jumping head-first into telecommuting, employers should be aware of potential legal issues raised by remote working. Kristina Klein and Ashley Hager have identified ten areas to consider:

wage and hour compliance – employers should consider how they will properly report and record the hours of its telecommuting employees;
occupational safety and health – employers should consider how they will properly record work-related injuries for their telecommuting employees;
accommodation for disabilities – employers should consider whether they are obligated to provide telecommuting as a reasonable accommodation for an employee’s disability;
discrimination issues – employers must be careful to administer their telecommuting policies in a non-discriminatory manner;
tax concerns – employers should consider whether any tax concerns or issues are raised by the telecommuting employee’s location;
trade secrets and confidential information – employers should consider how they will protect their confidential information and trade secrets when telecommuting employees are permitted access to this information;
privacy issues – employers may consider asking the employee to consent to monitoring or access to the employee’s home workspace;
workers’ compensation – employers should consider how they will investigate workplace injuries associated with working at home;
tort liability – employers should consider obtaining proper liability insurance;
zoning issues – employers should consider whether local zoning laws prevent or restrict an employee from working at home.
If you take the time to address these ten areas before you permit your employees to start telecommuting, you’re well on your way to a successful remote-working program. Proactively considering each of these issues will help you develop a top-notch telecommuting program that minimizes the risk of legal exposure.